The NSA’s “Equation Group” is apparently behind the infection with malware of hard drive firmware on computers used by nations considered “enemies” by the United State. The installation of the malware is believed to have required access to trade secrets of IT manufacturers as well as physical access to the soon-to-be infected computers. Popular Science in their article “The World’s Most Sophisticated Malware Ever Infects Hard Drive Firmware“ suggests that the NSA intercepted computers in transit through global logistical chains.

31.03.2015EUROPE ALSO PIVOTS – TO CHINABy M. K. Bhadrakumar
The decision by Britain to seek admission to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank [AIIB] as a founding member apparently took Washington by surprise. The State Department spokesperson admitted that there was “virtually no consultation with the US” and that it was “a sovereign decision made by the United Kingdom.”

23.03.2015WASHINGTON’S WAR ON RUSSIAby Mike Whitney
“In order to survive and preserve its leading role on the international stage, the US desperately needs to plunge Eurasia into chaos, (and) to cut economic ties between Europe and Asia-Pacific Region … Russia is the only (country) within this potential zone of instability that is capable of resistance. It is the only state that is ready to confront the Americans. Undermining Russia’s political will for resistance… is a vitally important task for America.”

09.03.2015AMERICA'S 'WEAPONIZED' DIPLOMACY IN UKRAINEJames Carden
Thirty years ago, the historian and diplomat George F. Kennan published a seminal essay in Foreign Affairs titled “Morality and Foreign Policy” in which he decried the stubborn tendency of the stewards of American foreign policy to treat every problem of geopolitics that arises in the course of human events as soluble, and what’s more, soluble by the American government.

05.03.2015THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EASTby Thierry Meyssan
For several months, Barack Obama has been trying to change US policy in the Middle East in order to eliminate the Islamic Emirate with the help of Syria. But he cannot do this, partly because he has been saying for years that President Assad must go, and secondly because his regional allies support the Islamic Emirate against Syria.

02.03.2015CENTERS FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES IN THE POST-SOVIET COUNTRIESVahram Hovyan
In the ex-USSR, centers for Armenian Studies exist mainly in three countries: Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. In all these three countries Armenian Studies have traditionally been a well-developed scientific discipline. Interest toward Armenian Studies in these countries has been triggered by a combination of several factors, including:

26.02.2015IS PUTIN'S RUSSIA READY FOR TOTAL ECONOMIC WAR WITH THE WEST?By: Ron Holland On February 18, 1943, German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels delivered a rousing speech at the Berlin Sportpalast, asking the German people, "Sind Sie bereit für totalen Krieg?" or "Are you ready for total War?" Germany had planned for Blitzkrieg and a short war and was unprepared for a world war as the combined military forces of the United States, England and the Soviet Union crushed the Reich relentlessly and systematically.

24.02.2015CENTERS FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES IN EUROPEArestakes Simavoryan
Armenian Studies have deep roots and traditions in Europe. In various historical periods reputable centers for Armenian Studies existed at various academic and religious institutions in European countries. As many authors note, development of Armenian Studies coincided with the European Age of Enlightenment and periods thereafter, with Mekhitarist Congregation playing a unique role in it.

20.02.2015BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: 6 ALLIES AMERICA NEEDS TO DIVORCEThe United States has spent decades collecting allies like many people accumulate Facebook “Friends.
”It’s hard to get out of a bad relationship. The good times may be over and the once vibrant connection may be dead, but people just can’t admit that it’s time to say goodbye.

19.02.2015PROSPECTS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND CENTERS FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES IN AMERICATigran Ghanalanyan
There are about forty centers for Armenian Studies in both Americas: the USA, Argentina, Brazil and Canada. Many of these centers established in late 20th and early 21st centuries are active in scientific research and education. Some of them succeeded in forming certain traditions and some of the newly established ones attempt using unique approaches to Armenian Studies thus enriching the existing kit of the research methods.

10.02.2015THE MESSAGE OF SYRIZA’S VICTORYBy Mark Weisbrot, CounterPunch, February 3, 2015
Everyone seems to agree that Syriza’s big victory in Greece is a milestone for Europe, which has been plagued by mass unemployment and a failure to really recover from the financial crisis and world recession of 2008-09. But what kind of a milestone will it be? We can get some ideas from focusing on a few key issues, especially economic policy, which remain surrounded by much confusion in the public debate.

09.02.2015IRAN AND SOUTH CAUCASUS: THE IMPLICATIONS OF “FREEZING” Sevak Sarukhanyan
Although Iran and the six powers were unable to reach an agreement on the nuclear issue in 2014, the negotiations will continue in 2015 and there is a theoretical chance that if not full, then at least some partial settlement will be reached in the relations between Tehran and Washington. The article presents the potential corollaries that such arrangement may bring for South Caucasus.

05.02.2015WAR BY MEDIA AND THE TRIUMPH OF PROPAGANDABy John Pilger
Why has so much journalism succumbed to propaganda? Why are censorship and distortion standard practice? Why is the BBC so often a mouthpiece of rapacious power? Why do the New York Times and the Washington Post deceive their readers?

02.02.2015PEACE INSTEAD OF NATOBy Oskar Lafontaine
For the vast majority of the population of the former Federal Republic, NATO has been the guarantor of peace and freedom for a long time. Anti-communism, fuelled by the fear of the Soviet Union operated by the world revolution, the Berlin Blockade and the construction of the Berlin Wall left little room to think about alternatives to NATO.

22.01.2015PROBLEMS OF THE CENTERS FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES AND THE WAYS OF THEIR SOLUTIONArestakes Simavoryan, Vahram Hovyan
Today the centers for Armenian Studies abroad face very serious problems and challenges, which not only hamper their normal activities, but pose threats to their very existence. These problems include lack of finance, specialists, research and educational materials and uncoordinated activities.

19.01.2015HOW OLD IS THE AZERBAIJANI NATION: ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF ABSHERON MUSLIMSHaykaram Nahapetyan
Modern Azerbaijan, akin to “caviar diplomacy” also develops “caviar science” not only in Azerbaijan, but also by ordering “research” in foreign countries that present the current territory of Azerbaijan, as well as Artsakh, Zangezur and Yerevan as millennia-old Azeri homeland. Baku post factum declares the Christian monuments on these territories or other Armenian settlements as Caucasian Albanian. Even if those were Albanian, Azerbaijan has no priority over Armenia to claim heritage of the historically Christian territories of Caucasian Albania.

Seminars and meetings

31.03.2015PANEL SESSION OF THE NORAVANK FOUNDATION RESEARCH COUNCILA session of the Noravank Foundation Research Council was held on March 27, 2015. The agenda included current activities of the Regional Think-Tanks research project, quarterly reports of the Noravank Foundation’s centers and Research Council, other ongoing issues.

10.03.2015ARMENIAN STUDIES IN THE USA: ISSUES AND PROSPECTSA seminar titled Armenian Studies in the USA: Issues and Prospects was held at the Noravank Foundation on March 5, 2015. The keynote was delivered by Kevork Bardakjian, Marie Manoogian Professor of Armenian Language and Literature, University of Michigan.

10.03.2015MEETING AT THE NORAVANK FOUNDATIONOn March 4, 2015 Noravank Foundation hosted a meeting with Namık Kemal Dinç and Ayhan Işık, representatives of the Kurdish Zan Institute for Social, Political and Economic Studies.

29.01.2015MEETING AT NORAVANK FOUNDATIONA meeting with representatives of the Armenian Evangelical Church and the management of Noravank Foundation took place on January 26, 2015.

25.12.2014MATTERS OF INFORMATION POLICYA round table discussion with participation of politicians, public figures, scientists and experts of analytical centers took place at the Noravank Foundation on December 23, 2014.

17.11.2014ARMENIA AND EAU: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTSA round table discussion was organized at the Noravank Foundation on November 14, 2014 with participation of politicians, public activists, scientists and researchers from analytical centers.

13.11.2014MEETING AT NORAVANK FOUNDATIONA meeting with Jean-Varoujan Sirapian, Founding President, Institut Tchobanian (the Chobanian Institute) of Paris, took place in the Noravank Foundation on November 7, 2014.

03.11.2014MISTAKES OF THE PAST, PERSPECTIVES OF THE FUTUREA round table discussion titled “Mistakes of the Past, perspectives of the Future” took place on October 29, 2014 at the Noravank Foundation. It was organized jointly by Noravank Foundation and National Congress of Western Armenians (NCWA). The round table was dedicated to Armenian-Kurdish relations and their historical roots, modern realities, regional developments, prevention of genocides and other issues.